1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microsurgery and vascular surgery, and more particularly to vessel occluding instruments for use in anastomosis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In microsurgical procedures, such as vessel anastomosis, routine occlusion of vessels is accomplished by various vessel occlusion instruments. Conventional clip and clamp-type vessel occlusion instruments have been used for many years, but the use of these conventional vessel occlusion instruments is often undesirable due to the anatomy and location of the vessels as well as the fragile nature of the vessels. Conventional clip and clamp-type vessel occlusion instruments often traumatize the vessel and bruise the tissue. This trauma complicates the recovery of the vessel following the anastomosis.
Various other types of vessel clamping or occlusion devices have been proposed.
British Patent No. 972,731, issued Oct. 14, 1964, to Gerendas, shows an artery clamp having a semi-rigid base with a pair of outwardly extending clamping prongs. The vessel is positioned against the base, and a matching plate with openings is placed over the vessel. The upper plate is pressed over the prongs to clamp the plates together with the vessel between the plates. Alternatively, the Gerendas patent provides a clamping member which extends over the base and has prongs at each end to engage openings in the base. There is no adjustability in the positioning of the clamping device, so that a single device will provide less clamping force on smaller vessels. In addition, these types of clamping devices are difficult to remove without traumatizing the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,076, issued to Fogarty, shows another vessel occluding instrument with a semi-rigid body member with a resilient pad attached to the body member. The vessel is positioned against the pad. The body has a hole at one end and a slot at the opposite end. A length of surgical tape is secured at one end in the hole in the body member and positioned around the vessel so that the vessel is positioned between the pad and the tape. The end of the tape is then pulled into the slot to tightly secure it to the body member in a manner that applies sufficient pressure to close the vessel. While this device provides a selective clamping pressure to the vessel, it appears that it would difficult to use this device for atraumatic occlusion since the risk of some trauma to the affective area is likely, particularly during removal. In addition, it would be relatively difficult to secure the end of the tape in the slot in a secure manner such that the tape would not slip and reduce clamping pressure to the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,166, issued to Fogarty shows a similar device in which the surgical tape is formed in a double loop with one loop replacing the pad in the previous Fogarty patent. Here again, the device would be difficult to apply and remove without the risk of trauma.
Various other medical clamping devices are shown in other patents, particularly U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,636, issued to Kariher et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,280, issued to Talonn. Other devices of interest are shown in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 1,607,996, issued to Morgenthaler; U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,054, issued to Rynk; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,957 issued to Robinson.